Process for carrying through chemical gas reactions by means of an enlarged electrical discharge.



H. ANDRIESSENS. PROCESS FOR CARRYING THROUGH CHEMICAL GAS REACTIONS BYMEANS OF AN ENLARGED ELEGTRICAL DISCHARGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

Patnted Apr. 3, 1913.

' Q In Ventbri Attv ANDIPIIESSENS, O MUNICH, GERMANY.

lhrough Chemical oi an llnlz 'gcd Electric-d Discharge, of which the:tollcw'n geciiication.

invention relates to srnethocl or", and apparatus for, treating aces,and hes especial reference to the treatment of gases, for the purpose ofproducingguseous reactions, in an electric furnace wherein an electricarc fiance is subjected to the action of suitable magnetic means tospread the flame within the reaction chamber of the furnace.

obtain the requisite concentration and consequent hh yield in thetreatment of 'i the oxidation of the nitrogen sir, it is essential thatthe arc the furnace, be extended lineied to as great an extentas e, and-hat the surface over which the ended lianie spreads (the so-calledvolanic of flame) be as smell as possible, consistent with effectiveoperation. I

It has been found that with :1- given maximum linear extension of thearc, the greater the volume of the flame the greater will be thedestruction or" the oxids of nitrogen formed by the reaction taking.place "Within :Eurnace chamber. This is due to the fact that theexcessively high temperature in the furnace chamber will tend to preventor hind the cooling of the products of reaction cctly in ercportion tothe length of time remain in this excessively heated churnto preventtheretardation of the the reaction within the furnace r, We arc is spreadsufficiently to Or the reactions taking olace, without the are being sospread as to impede the message 015' the products oi combustion out ofthe chamber.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel method andapparatus for treating gases wherein the essentials to successfuloperatiomas above defined, are present in a degree not heretoforeattained.

The underlying principle of the invention resides in the production of ahigh tension are, the discharge being-caused to take a substantiallyshaped path, and the arc electric-magnetically spresd over Gas Reactionsby Means.

ATE-l surface which is practically always constant in extent, and thespreading action being independent of the alternating directions of theelectric current emanating from the source used to produce the arc.

in carrying my novel method or" treating gases into practice, I producea high tension electric are which is subjected to the flow or blast ofat suitable inediunnsuch as air, gas, or vapor, whereby the electricdischarge is caused to take a suhstautiall zig-zag shaped path, thedeformed arc is subjected to unidirectional lines of magnetic force tospread the are linearly to as great an extent, and over as small asurface, as possible, and

thereafter the gases to he treated are passed electromagnet beingomitted; and 4: is

cf ers ective View parts a. esrin in section.

Referring by reference characters to the drawing, m designates thefurnace casing, of refractory material, through the lower wall of whichthe electrodes a5 and 0d roject a relatively short distance into thereaction chamber of the furnace. In pram ties the electrodes aresegarated but e few millimeters from each other. @pening into the casingwt, preferably through the lower well ieof, are the ducts or tubes 77,and 0, through which the bulky of the air to he treated is introducedinto the reaction chamber, the air after treatment passing out throughthe discharge tube 39 the upper wall of the casing m.

. Arranged between the electrodes, which are included in an electriccircuit as shown, is a nozzle 6, which serves to conduct the air, gasesor vapors to the arc formed between the dischcrgs ends of theelectrodes. At right angles to the reaction chamber of the furnace arethe poles g and h of a powerful nating current, be caused to flowthrough the electrodes ab and 0d, a high tension arc will be producedbetween the ends I) and c, and if a current or blast of air, vapor orgas, be projected through the nozzle 6 against the arc, the latter willassume the substantially zig-zag shape defined by the lines 6,

0. While, possibly, the arc may not have the precise form I), f', .0, itwill be understood that immediately following each current alternationsubstantially this form of the arc will be produced.

When the arc has been deformed asdescribed, the unidirectional magneticlines of force from the poles g and 72, of the powerful electromagnetwill traverse the zigzag shaped parts 6, f and f c of the arc. Theresult 'of this is that the arc is spread, in the form of a closedcircle which constantly increases in size, over a surface the peripheryof which is defined by the helical line 2' I: Z which is at right anglesto lines drawn through the oles 9, k, and the electrode ends I), c. Thisline may be fifteen feet in length, or more. The flame has theappearance of a relatively; small, round, but intense flame disk,although the are actually expands to maximum and becomes extinguishedwith each alternation of the current which produces the are.

It is immaterial Whether the direction of the high tension current is?)f 0, or whether it flows in the reverse direction a f b; the surfaceover which the flame spreads re mains practically constant in extent.Corresponding to the direction of the current producing the high tensionarc, the latter willspread either as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 oras indicated by the arrow in Fig. '8, and it will thus be noted that itis immaterial whether the arc is producedby alternating or by directcurrent. In this connection I desire to emphasize the fact that unlessthe are be subjected to the flow g or blast through the nozzle 6,between the points 7) and a and thus deformed to produce the zig-zagshaped are or band of flame, the magnetic lines of force could not cutthe arc and, of course, the latter could not be spread out to form aflame.

The circle, formed by the lines of force of the magnet cutting-the arc,is not actually visible to the eye, as such circle is formed, expandedto its maximum extent and rotated at right angles to its initialposition, at each current alternation, although the flame appears tohave a substantially constant surface or volume.

The gas or air to be treated may be introduced into the reaction chamberof the furnace in any of the ways well known in the art. In the drawingthe tubes 12, and 0 serve for the introduction of air or gas, the objectbeing simply that the gas or air be sub ected to the action ot thedeformed arc 'tion chamber,

Within the furnace. Corresponding to the method of introducing the gas,and the position and width or form of the electrodes, the line i is Zwill assume the shape of the sector of a circle, or that of apractically closed circle, the periphery of a leaf or the like. 4

From the foregoing description it .will be noted that by my novel methodand apparatus, I am enabled to extend or lengthen the are linearly to avery great extent and to spread the same over as small a surface or areaas possible, whereby a large yield of the substance treated is obtainedin a relatively short space of time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described method ofproducing'gaseous reactions, which method consists in forming a hightension 'arc flame, blowing a suitable medium against said are wherebythe same is deformed and elevated above normal, subjecting said deformedarc to the action of a magnetic field of force the magnetic lines offorce of which extend in a direction at right angles to that in whichthe arc is deformed, whereby said are is extended linearly and spread insubstantially disk form over a restricted surface or area, andconducting the gas to be treated to the spread are.

2. The herein described method of producing gaseous reactions, whichmethod consists in forminga" high tension are flame, blowing a suitablemedium against said are whereby the same is deformed and elevated abovenormal, subjecting said de formed are to the action of a magnetic fieldof force whereby said are is extended lin early and rotated into a.plane at right angles to the plane of its original deformation andconducting the gas to be treated to such are.

3. The herein described method of producing gaseous reactions, whichmethod con sists in forming a high tension arc flame,

conducting a current of air against said are at a point intermediate itsends whereby said are is deformed and elevated above normal, subjectingsaid deformed arc to the ac tion of unidirectional lines of magneticforce extending in a direction at right an les to the direction in whichsaid are is de ormed whereby said are is greatly lengthened and spreadin substantially disk form overa relatively restricted surface or area,and conducting the gas to be treatedv to the spread arc. v

4. A gas reaction furnace, embodying therein a furnace casing containinga reacmeans for producing a high I tension arc flame within the reactionchainber,

means whereby the arc flame is de-, formed and elevated above normal,means for producing magnetic lines of force to out said are and spreadthe same in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of themeans for producing the arc, and means for introducing the matter to betreated in the reaction chamber. I

5. A gas reaction furnace, embodying therein a furnace casing containinga reaction chamber, means for producing a high tension arc flame Withinthe reaction chamber, means for directing an air blast against said areintermediate its ends whereby said arc is deformed and elevated abovenormal, means for producing magnetic lines of force to cut said are andspread the same in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane ofthe means for producing the arc, and means for introducing the matter tobe treated in the reaction chamber.

ing between the 6. A gas reaction furnace, embodying therein a furnacecasing containing a'reaction chamber, means including closely adjacentelectrodes for producing an alternating current are Within said chamber;means for directing an air blast against said are to deform said are andelevate it above normal, and a magnet having the plane Which joins itspoles passing through said arc Whereb'y unidirectional magnetic lines offorce passoles of said magnet spread said are in a p ane. substantiallyat right angles to the first mentioned plane.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HUGO ANDRIESSENS. Witnesses:

CAROLINA STANLITZ, A. U. CINSARLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G."

